DIY baby sensory ideas?

[Craftycakey15]

I'm finding it hard to find a class to get to with my baby in January. She will be two months at beginning of month. I'd like to do my own sensory activities with her. Does anyone have any ideas of what I could do?

[WhatKatyDidnt]

Bouncy chair in front of washing machine is a winner in our house

[cestlavielife]

Is she typically developing ?
She is what 8 or 10 weeks ?
Any reason why at so young you worried??
If she is typically developing she is a bit young to do more than usual things talk to her sing to her gentle baby massage etc .

If she has sensory deficits speak to an OT or paed therapist for specialist advice.

[Clickncollect]

We have a feather, some musical rattles, silver foil for scrunching up and music via YouTube (nursery rhymes). Basic but fun!

[VanillaLatteAndCake]

Bubbles, coloured lights, feathers.
I also used the outdoor pop-up sun tent inside. I put the baby on some cushions inside it and then reflected lights off the roof of the tent. I sometimes turned the bubbles on in there too.

[Craftycakey15]

No I'm not worrying. She will be two months at new year. It's just other new mums I know are booking classes for January and I was advised by HV too. I know it's not urgent and I just want some ideas. Thanks for these already!

[Notthisnotthat]

At that age I went to a baby sensory class but more for getting out of the house and chatting to other mums. DD just slept.

[VanillaLatteAndCake]

Ooo, another simple one at this time of year - simply looking at Xmas tree lights! You could also use tinsel and shake it or, stroke your baby's skin with it.

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

At that age it's really about you getting out to meet other mums. Do you have to book all these things nowadays? My youngest is 8 and we used to drop in to baby music or 'stay and play' playgroups. Only thing I remember booking was baby massage. Even the privately run baby yoga was a drop in.

Shame if you have to commit now

[BestZebbie]

A crinkly space blanket laid over a soft surface or inside a hole made by putting sofa cushions around an empty space.
Lentils inside plastic drinks bottles (lid very well secured, maybe glued shut!)
Coloured water or gel made with assorted pinterest tutorials with random stuff floating about in it, inside plastic drinks bottles (or plastic pouches, if you have a way to heat-seal).
squares of different sorts of fabric, to feel the different textures
hand puppets (could just be a sock, at 2 months :-p) for you to use, to sing along to songs etc
turn the lights off and have fairy lights on (out of reach) and some of those little white shapes that slowly change colour: sc01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB16dcjGFXXXXbvXFXXq6xXFXXXJ/201078186/HTB16dcjGFXXXXbvXFXXq6xXFXXXJ.jpg

[Enelya]

One of those foil emergency blankets is always popular. Bottles with rice/lentils. One of the balls with spikes on to roll on her legs.
Nursery rhymes with finger actions. Start with one, repeat it lots then add a new one

[cestlavielife]

I think the classes are for the parents...
If you going out and about and taking her to different places she will be fine.
Once she can grab things give her lots of different textures to hold.
Really you don't need classes or to formalise it. Just think of the senses and different things to see feel smell touch . This will happen quite naturally ... if ypu are as crafty as your user name you will have lots of things around

[Craftycakey15]

I do need to meet mums. I need to get confident in driving and bring out with my baby now I'm past six weeks from caesarean. I'm glad to hear other babies are asleep and it's about mums meeting. I am going to get started on doing my own bits

[Glitterous]

I attended Baby Sensory classes from when dd was 8 weeks old. Locally to me they were very busy so you had to book early. I enjoyed it, I needed to meet up with other adults but it also gave me a lot of ideas of activities to do with dd and reacquainted me with nursery rhymes.

Have you looked on Facebook for a local mums group? (search something like 'town mum's) as you might find something similar to baby sensory in your area which is cheaper or a drop in. Libraries also often do rhyme time which are free and drop in.

In terms of activities the space blanket and bubbles has always been a winner. Also on YouTube there are lots of black and white 'baby sensory ' videos.

[sanityisamyth]

I built DS a den in one of the eaves storages - he's in the loft conversion.

Flat black sheets stapled to the wall, glittery mesh from eBay stapled over, fairy lights stapled that. Rug down (no carpet) on the floor, and some sensory toys - bubble tube (£20 Amazon), balls that light up when bounced, spinning things from the carnivals, I just did a search on eBay/amazon for sensory toys.

Doesn't need to be a "den" as such - a corner of the room blacked out somehow?

Good luck :)

[Craftycakey15]

Thanks to the lady two posters too. I forgot about the library too. To the last poster that is amazing ! What is the distils stuff in last photo please?

[Craftycakey15]

Glittery not distils!!!

[sanityisamyth]

Hi crafty, it's just the glittery mesh which is over the plain black sheet. I got it from eBay I think, about £3 per meter. Can't find it on there now but there's bound to be something similar. Was actually really easy to do - just the fabric and a staple gun to start with. I keep adding new toys for him every now and then, but he loves it in there. It's an extension to his room, giving him more space, but a totally different feel. He'll be 3 next week, and still loves going in there!!

[Heirhelp]

Look up treasure baskets.

Lots of singing, especially songs where you touch the baby's body eg 'I am driving in my car', 'round and round the garden' and 'this little piggy went to market'.

[Craftycakey15]

Great, never heard of treasure baskets. So many good ideas. Thanks

[HelloMist]

Glad to see you've already had lots of good suggestions. :)

On the subject of classes/groups: find out if you've got a local children's centre. They run a number of free groups for different ages which might include a sensory type one. (And usually they're drop in so you aren't commited to going every week or being on time).

[Craftycakey15]

They do have local sensory classes but they are at a bad time for me so that's why I'm looking for diy ideas. Can I save this page somehow ?

[Artandco]

Almost anything you have or do at home can be used in some way. If you are cooking you can give her a whisk or something to play with, when you bath a sponge, when your hanging clean laundry they can sit among clean socks when a bit bigger, grass outside etc

[bluechameleon]

I used to do up the baby gym as a multi-sensory space - wrap tinsel, ribbons or fairy lights around the poles, hang different things from the hooks (mirror balls, baubles, bells), drape different fabrics over the top. You can also play or sing songs related to your theme. But I liked to have something to focus on, this is all entirely unnecessary and your baby will be just as happy and develop just as well if you sing, read and play with some different materials.

[Craftycakey15]

Breast idea to add things to the play mat and yes, I agree, so much in everyday life is stimulating enough.

[Craftycakey15]

Great idea to add things to the play mat and yes, I agree, so much in everyday life is stimulating enough.